Posts Tagged ‘prayer’

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Train to Poland — Part 2

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

This is our eighth trip to Eastern Europe since 2008 and, apart from gasping at near head-on collisions, I’ve never felt afraid. Until today, that is.

Passengers come and go on these trains. For several miles, two men in their 60s sat on the bench across from us. Theirs was an animated conversation until one turned his attention to me and began jabbering in Polish. His eyebrows shot up when I told him that I couldn’t understand because I spoke only English. He moved closer, grabbed my hand and kissed it.

I was okay with this display of Polish culture but squirmed inside when he began to squeeze my hand and pat my arm with his other hand. Then he leaned toward my face. All of this happened within a few seconds. A teenage boy in the next seat began translating what the man was saying, at which time Gene stood up and asked the man to back off.

The man responded by speaking louder and squeezing tighter. Gene repeated his request. The man turned up his volume and now leaned towards my husband. Visions of his punching Gene popped into my head. I shot up an arrow prayer for help.

At that exact moment, the conductor stepped into our train car. Understand that conductors routinely walk through the cars to ensure that all passengers have purchased tickets and aren’t freeloading. This conductor hadn’t set foot in this car for the past hour despite the train making numerous stops and collecting passengers along the way. His sudden appearance at that exact moment was nothing short of an immediate answer to prayer.

Without speaking a word, the conductor sized up the situation and took control. He pulled the man away from me and kicked him off the train when it stopped a few moments later. Everyone in the car heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry,” said the conductor as he walked way.

“No problem,” I said, whispering a big thank-you to God under my breath. He showed up as my protector in the form of a train conductor – how awesome is that? While it was quite amazing to see Him answer prayer so quickly, I truly hope He won’t have to do it again!

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Dealing with Discouragement

Monday, June 21st, 2010

What do you do when you feel discouraged?

(a)   Devour a bowlful (nay, a gallon) of your favorite ice cream

(b)  Take a long walk

(c)   Unload on a friend

(d)  Crank up your favorite praise and worship music

(e)   Take a nap

(f)   All of the above

(g)  None of the above

Our means of dealing with discouragement varies because we’re all different. As for me, I’ll go for a walk to clear my brain. I may even treat myself to a Tim Horton’s iced cappuccino. But more often than not, I’ll pray something like, “God, you know how I’m feeling right now. Thank You that I’m not alone. You’re with me and will give me the wisdom and where-with-all to get through this situation. Keep my eyes focused on You and Your promises rather than on my cause for discouragement.” Then I “pull up my big girl pants” and forge ahead.

Different people do different things when discouragement strikes. Take a look at Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 19. He’d just experienced a landslide victory over the false god Baal. You’d think he’d feel like a world-conqueror now, but not so. His victory triggered a death threat from Queen Jezebel, and fear overwhelmed him. Personally, I think the guy was emotionally and physically spent from the battle with Baal’s false prophets; he couldn’t even think clearly at this point.

Elijah allowed Queen Jezebel’s threat to intimidate him. His discouragement level soared, and he ran away to who-knows-where. At one point he parted company with his servant and continued the journey alone. Verse 4 says, “Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, LORD,’ he said. ‘Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.’”

Elijah’s discouragement topped the scale. What might he have done to prevent that from happening? Here are my thoughts…

  • He might have refused to let Jezebel’s threat paralyze him by choosing to recall God’s mighty display of power in the battle against Baal.
  • He might have kept company with his servant rather than isolating himself.
  • He might have rested rather than traveling all day in the wilderness.
  • He might have changed his prayer from “I’ve had enough, Lord. Take my life,” to “I’ve had enough, Lord. Please take over because I don’t feel I can go on.”

I realize it’s easy for me to analyze Elijah’s situation and say what he should or should not have done. While I don’t mean to pronounce judgment on him, I believe there are some good principles to learn from his experience. Like…when circumstances discourage us, let’s choose not to focus on them but on the character of God, the Overcomer. Let’s refuse to isolate ourselves. Let’s care for our well-being though proper rest, nutrition, and exercise (how often does discouragement set in because we’re run down?). And let’s tell God exactly how we feel but not stop there – let’s always turn our focus back to Him and His ability to see us through.

How about you? What do you do when you feel discouraged?

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Prayer or Action

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

As believers, we’re told to pray about everything. And rightfully so. It keeps us in tune with God. It builds our friendship with Him, and it acknowledges our dependency upon Him. But in some cases, we’re called to do more than pray. We’re called to get up and do something about whatever the problem is.

Moses found that to be true. Exodus 13 tells the story of the Egyptians chasing the Israelites after their exodus. The people panicked when they realized that their captors were almost upon them. Moses said, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (v. 13).

But God Himself spoke up: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground…’” (vv. 15-16).

Prayer is good, but there comes a time when we need to move on those prayers. Here’s an example from my own life:

As a mission leader, I’m responsible to help organize short-term ministry trips to Eastern Europe. One of my biggest challenges is finding people to fill our teams. I take my responsibility very seriously because the ramifications are huge.

Without volunteers, we have no teams. Without teams, we cannot host evangelistic family camps. Without camps, our career missionary staff working in these post-Communist countries have limited opportunities to build relationships with unbelievers who would otherwise never cross their path. And that could mean the difference between life and death for countless men and women. See what I mean about huge ramifications?

I could pray and pray and pray for God to bring us the volunteers we need to get the job done (believe me, I do that!). Or I could combine those prayers with action. And so, my husband and I invest time, energy, and resources hosting our booth at missions conferences, speaking in churches, meeting interested individuals for coffee to discuss opportunities, and more.

Here’s another example: Gone are the days when publishers did the marketing to raise awareness of a book’s existence. Now it’s the author’s job. As an author, I could pray and pray and pray for God to get the message of my book into the hands of people who need to read it (and I do that). Or I could combine my prayers with practical action. And so, I speak at women’s events and I pursue media interviews. I write magazine articles and a monthly online newsletter. The list goes on because I’m called to action. It’s not because God can’t get the job done on His own. It’s because He wants my involvement.

Sometimes I feel a tension. For example – at what moment do I take action, what should that action look like, and how much do I do? That’s where prayer comes into play once again – asking God to answer my questions and then trusting Him to guide me to do the right thing.

Have you ever struggled with this tension? If so, what insights can you share about prayer and action?

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Take Nehemiah’s Advice

Monday, August 17th, 2009

I tried to post on Friday, honestly. So there we were, sitting in a hotel parking lot in southern Alberta after a marathon 13-hour drive, trying our best to hook into the wireless (we weren’t patrons there, otherwise we could have hooked up in a room). The scene went something like this:

  • Gene, handing the laptop to Grace: “Okay, here ya go. It’s hooked up.”
  • Grace, taking the laptop from Gene: “Great! Thank you! Now I can post – hey, wait a minute. It’s not connected.”
  • Gene, taking the laptop back: “That’s odd. It was online when I gave it to you. Look – it’s connected now.”
  • Grace, taking the laptop from Gene: “Okay. Let’s get this job done…hey, what’s up with this? It just disconnected.”

 Bless Gene’s heart, he fiddled with my laptop for 45 minutes, trying one thing and then another. We even moved to a different parking lot and gave it another try, but we had no luck. Finally, with less than an hour remaining to get ready for and show up at my niece’s wedding, I had to cast off my good intentions. Such is life. Later that night he discovered that my laptop’s battery was loose – that’s why the connection was intermittent.

Now it’s Sunday noon and we’re driving past Hope, B.C. Nearly home after our whirlwind  1600-mile trip to Alberta. I’ll post from my office when I get there. Here’s the latest devotional….

Several days ago, a longtime American friend told me that her adult son had recently joined the military reserves. She shook her head and said, “I’m afraid of what might happen to him. Hopefully our world will become a more peaceful place because I really don’t want him to end up overseas.”

I appreciated this woman’s honesty and reassured her that she’s not alone in her concern for her son. Everywhere I travel, I meet women with similar fears. Some are mothers whose teenagers are involved in drugs and sex, seemingly bent on self-destruction. Some are moms with adult children who are in prison, or headed for divorce, or struggling with unemployment issues. Others, with younger kids, are fearful of the media’s negative influence on their offspring, or of secular worldviews learned at school, or of the bullying issue.

So what’s a mom to do when struggling with fear for her kids’ well-being? I suggest following the advice Nehemiah gave when he and his people encountered obstacles while trying to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem: “…As I looked over the situation, I called together the leaders and the people and said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!’” (Nehemiah 4:14).

Whatever situation we’re facing with our kids or even our extended families, we can choose not to let fear overcome us. We can refuse to entertain the frightening what-if thoughts and focus our minds on promises from God’s Word and on truths about His character instead. Then we need to take our positions and do battle on our loved ones’ behalf. This means we stand in the gap for them through prayer, and we take other practical action when necessary and appropriate.

Don’t be afraid…remember the Lord…and fight for those you love. Great advice, Nehemiah!

Think of a time when you applied this counsel and share it with us!

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Journal Entry for July 7

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Our chapel time this morning consisted of several kids’ testimonies. One spoke of how she witnessed God answer prayer after the car in which she was traveling broke down and no one would stop to help her. She and the others in the car prayed for God to fix the problem and He did. To her, that was a huge sign of God’s power and presence in her life.

Another spoke of the difficulties she’d faced since being diagnosed with HIV – especially the lack of proper medical care. One talked about his dad dying, and about nearly losing his mom. He said that he and his brothers prayed that God would not let her die, and He answered. Years later, she’s still alive.

Then the gal who committed her life to Christ last night spoke. With tears in her eyes, she addressed our team and said, “Thank you for coming. You came from so far away just to spend time with us. You have loved us and treated us like normal people. You’ll never know how much this camp has meant to us.”

How does one respond to that, except to thank God for providing the means and the opportunity to serve in this way? We wish the need for this ministry didn’t exist, but so long as it does, we pray that God will raise up the volunteers and especially career staff to build it and bless it.

Andy and Claudia drove the kids back to the day center – about 2 ½ hours’ drive one way on a very windy mountain road. At one point, they had to pull off to the side because everyone had to get out and throw up due to travel sickness. Poor kids! Poor Andy and Claudia!

They returned to pick up the team around 6:00 pm, and then it was our turn to travel on the windy road. No vomiting, but a few queasy stomachs. At one point after darkness fell, we drove through a fairly large town and I noticed that there were few lights on in the apartment blocks and houses. Tony explained that this area used to have a booming economy based on mining. Now the mines are closed and nearly everyone is unemployed and can’t afford to pay for electricity. Hence, the dark windows. Sad, sad, sad. Again, we in North America have much to be thankful for.

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Prayer and Fasting

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

I want to be like 84-year-old Anna! Luke 2:37 says she spent her days worshiping God in prayer and fasting. Her heart was obviously sensitive to spiritual matters, for when the infant Messiah came to the Temple, she immediately recognized Him as the promised Savior.

Oh, that my heart would be so spiritually in tune with the Lord. I long to be a woman who hears His Spirit’s whispers, and feels His gentle nudges. I want to maintain an attitude of worship throughout my day so I’m aware of His presence and power at all times.

Becoming that kind of woman doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it come from being heavily involved in public ministry. Rather, it comes from private time with the Lord. It comes from being intentional, as Anna was, with my prayer life and other spiritual disciplines such as fasting. Yes, if I want to be a woman like Anna, it won’t come automatically. It takes effort, but the payback is worth it!

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Abe Prayed

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

Back to Abraham and his relationship with God. Theirs was an intimate one as evidenced in their conversation about Sodom (Genesis 18) “God, You wouldn’t destroy the city if You found 50 righteous men there, would You? After all, You’re a just God.”

“You’re right,” said God. “I’d save it for their sakes.”

Abraham mustered his courage for round #2. “What if You found 45 righteous men?”

“I’d save the whole place for their sake,” said God.

“Forty?”

“If I find 40 righteous men, I’ll spare the city.” And so went the conversation, back and forth, until God agreed to spare the entire city if He could find 10 righteous men.

Verse 27 contains a word that describes Abraham’s approach. It’s the word bold. The dictionary says this word means, “without fear; daring.” Abraham was indeed daring in his prayers. I’m not convinced that he was without fear, however, because the passage sounds like he had to muster his courage before each request. Perhaps he was a little concerned that God might consider him a smart-alek for his approach. I think it was the opposite — it looks like God rather enjoyed the banter, otherwise He might have ended the conversation in disgust. Regardless, Abraham conversed with God in a way that’s possible only between friends.

This story encourages me in my prayer life. It shows me that God enjoys honest communication. He invites me to be daring in my requests and in my approach. That’s reinforced in Hebrews 4:16 — “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

May we all enjoy such intimate relationship with God that our conversations with Him reflect deep friendship!

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March 24 and 25

Saturday, March 31st, 2007

As always, God’s strength pulled me through. Fifty Indian women from various backgrounds attended the conference. The audience was comprised of seminary professors, pastors, OM staff, and lay women. Young and old alike from India, the U.S., Australia, and Europe. What a privilege to encourage these women in their spiritual journey! Several asked me to pray individually for their family concerns, and again, I felt blessed. I have much to learn from these humble and loving Indian sisters.

I’d been scheduled to speak for 10 minutes to a congregation of nearly 600 at the Sunday service. At breakfast, one OM staff lady asked me if I’d like to wear a sari for the service. How could I refuse such a sweet offer? Bless her heart, she dressed me in one of her own saris, a purple silk creation. Then she gave me a pearl necklace and earrings, saying that these were a gift by which she wanted me to remember her. Later, when I returned her sari, she insisted that I keep it, too.

The day’s highlight was visiting this Indian sister in her modest apartment. She warmly invited me in and we chatted about the prior day’s conference, which had been her idea. Then she said, “Please pray for me. Pray that God will help me be most effective as I mentor younger women.” With pleasure I honored her request, and then she prayed for me. Our hearts were knit.
Because of the possibility of jeopardizing existing ministry in this part of the country, I’m not free to share everything that we saw and learned over the weekend. Suffice it to say that God is at work in amazing ways. In time, I hope to be able to tell you more about ways that you can participate in one particular area, making a difference in the lives of young women at risk of being sold into the sex-trade industry. I’ll be free to tell you more as the project comes together. Prayer is the key, both now and always.

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